Jenna MacDonald, the new girl in her Tacoma, Washington middle school, jumps into the cold waters of Puget Sound to rescue a little girl. Though Jenna is a hero to her grandparents and little brother, Jenna's mother is furious at her for drawing attention to the island prison where her dad lives.
Personalities emerge through Jenna's eyes as she writes in her journal. Because of her American Indian heritage from her father, she hopes to become part of the schools multi-racial "in group." She finds it hard when she must evade questions about her father. She doesn't dare break her mother's "Don't Tell" rule.
Jenna's father spends his time in prison studying to be a better parent. He says, "Children of inmates are doing time, too." Jenna deals with responsibilities and situations that daunt many adults, demonstrating her ability to make the world a better place.
"An engaging story . . . an important book for teachers and students with such children in their midst." - Susan Schnell, 6th Grade Teacher, Washington
"A gripping story . . . brings a new compassionate view of families in this kind of challenging and difficult situation." - Eve Begley Kiehm, author
"We could all learn a lot from Jenna. Sometimes it takes a child to remind us of the important thing in life." - Joe Haas, book reviewer
Pacific Northwest author Jan Walker taught parenting and family relationship classes to adult felons for eighteen years. She used her background and success with incarcerated dads to create this story.
This book was recommended by a Christian School Administrator
